diff --git a/include/subdir.mk b/include/subdir.mk
index 6512e24c2e..f01cd55f30 100644
--- a/include/subdir.mk
+++ b/include/subdir.mk
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ define subtarget
 endef
 
 define ERROR
-	($(call MESSAGE, $(2)); $(if $(BUILD_LOG), echo "$(2)" >> $(BUILD_LOG_DIR)/$(1)/error.txt))
+	($(call MESSAGE, $(2)); $(if $(BUILD_LOG), echo "$(2)" >> $(BUILD_LOG_DIR)/$(1)/error.txt;) $(if $(3),, exit 1;))
 endef
 
 lastdir=$(word $(words $(subst /, ,$(1))),$(subst /, ,$(1)))
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ define subdir
       $(foreach btype,$(buildtypes-$(bd)),
         $(call warn_eval,$(1)/$(bd),t,T,$(1)/$(bd)/$(btype)/$(target): $(if $(NO_DEPS)$(QUILT),,$($(1)/$(bd)/$(btype)/$(target)) $(call $(1)//$(btype)/$(target),$(1)/$(bd)/$(btype))))
 		  $(call log_make,$(1)/$(bd),$(target),$(btype),$(filter-out __default,$(variant))) \
-			$(if $(findstring $(bd),$($(1)/builddirs-ignore-$(btype)-$(target))), || $(call ERROR,$(1),   ERROR: $(1)/$(bd) [$(btype)] failed to build.))
+			|| $(call ERROR,$(2),   ERROR: $(1)/$(bd) [$(btype)] failed to build.,$(findstring $(bd),$($(1)/builddirs-ignore-$(btype)-$(target))))
         $(if $(call diralias,$(bd)),$(call warn_eval,$(1)/$(bd),l,T,$(1)/$(call diralias,$(bd))/$(btype)/$(target): $(1)/$(bd)/$(btype)/$(target)))
       )
       $(call warn_eval,$(1)/$(bd),t,T,$(1)/$(bd)/$(target): $(if $(NO_DEPS)$(QUILT),,$($(1)/$(bd)/$(target)) $(call $(1)//$(target),$(1)/$(bd))))
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ define subdir
 			$(if $(BUILD_LOG),@mkdir -p $(BUILD_LOG_DIR)/$(1)/$(bd)/$(filter-out __default,$(variant)))
 			$(if $($(1)/autoremove),$(call rebuild_check,$(1)/$(bd),$(target),,$(filter-out __default,$(variant))))
 			$(call log_make,$(1)/$(bd),$(target),,$(filter-out __default,$(variant))) \
-				$(if $(findstring $(bd),$($(1)/builddirs-ignore-$(target))), || $(call ERROR,$(1),   ERROR: $(1)/$(bd) failed to build$(if $(filter-out __default,$(variant)), (build variant: $(variant))).))
+				|| $(call ERROR,$(1),   ERROR: $(1)/$(bd) failed to build$(if $(filter-out __default,$(variant)), (build variant: $(variant))).,$(findstring $(bd),$($(1)/builddirs-ignore-$(target)))) 
         )
       $(if $(PREREQ_ONLY)$(DUMP_TARGET_DB),,
         # aliases